It's almost time for fireworks to light up the sky around San Diego!

Why it matters: Fourth of July weekend draws hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors to the beaches, bays and parks, and they're looking for a show.

State of play: Consumer fireworks are illegal in both the city and county of San Diego, so here's a guide to the Independence Day celebrations run by professionals.

Zoom in: San Diego's Big Bay Boom, billed as California's largest fireworks show, is the city's signature pyrotechnic event.

• Fireworks shoot off from four barges starting at 9pm with accompanying music for an 18-minute show.
• Stake out a spot early to watch from Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Embarcadero, Coronado Ferry Landing or the USS Midway.

The big picture: There are parades and festivals happening all around the county on Friday, with most fireworks shows starting around 9pm.

• Watch the SeaWorld fireworks around Mission Bay or at Kate Sessions Park.
• Go to Kellogg Park for the La Jolla Shores drone show.
• Chula Vista 4th Fest's fireworks show is set to a bilingual soundtrack.
• Grab 3D glasses for Legoland's "Red, White and Boom!" or visit resorts in Carlsbad.
• See Coronado's fireworks from the golf course.
• In Del Mar, the county fair's final weekend features a spectacular show.

Fun fact: Fiesta Island is one the country's top-ranked viewing spots, according to Yelp.

Our thought bubble: Grant Hill Park is one under-the-radar pick to see the Big Bay Boom show that has Kate Sessions vibes but should be less crowded.

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California is rolling back environmental regulations for some construction projects after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law this week ending strict review for many new developments.

Why it matters: The move could cut down planning and zoning timelines in cities that desperately need more housing.

Catch up quick: The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) allows individuals and groups to file lawsuits to challenge projects, which can delay building by years and rack up litigation costs.

• It was enacted in 1970 to prevent environmental damage and requires developers to mitigate potential impacts through a public review process.
• Attempts to reform it have escalated over the last decade amid California's housing shortage.

Driving the news: The new law exempts urban "infill" housing projects, which are built in and around existing development, from CEQA if they are less than 20 acres and located outside hazardous zones.

• That "will unambiguously reduce the time frame" for development, Ben Metcalf, managing director of UC Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation, told Axios.

Zoom in: That biggest impact locally will likely be outside the city, particularly North County coastal communities like Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside that have been resistant to infill development, according to San Diego housing analyst Gary London.

• The exemption will make it easier to convert shopping centers and office parks sandwiched in residential neighborhoods to homes, he said.
• San Diego's complete communities program already fast-tracks those types of housing projects.

The other side: Opponents say the rollback axes essential protections for wildlife, biodiversity and California's most vulnerable communities.

Go deeper

🎾 University of San Diego's Ollie Tarvet couldn't pull off a second upset at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships yesterday, dropping three sets to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. The young tennis star must also forfeit most of his earned prize money to be eligible for his senior season, per NCAA rules. (ESPN)

🍕Tribute Pizza was named one of the country's 50 best pizzerias for the third straight year, moving up to No. 34. (50 Top Pizza)

🏠 The city started accepting applications again for short-term rental properties in Mission Beach, after a more than two-year hiatus because of high demand. But there's still a waitlist. (Union-Tribune)

The iconic Giant Dipper, a 75-foot-tall wooden roller coaster at Belmont Park in Mission Beach, turns 100 years old tomorrow.

Flashback: It welcomed its first riders when the beachside amusement park opened on July 4, 1925, and cranked out smiles and screams for decades.

• The coaster was almost demolished when the park closed in 1976, but San Diegan Tim Cole and the Save the Coaster Committee raised money to take over ownership and restore it.
• The Giant Dipper became a National Historic Landmark in 1987, and reopened with the park in 1990.

State of play: Belmont Park is celebrating its centennial with 100 days of giveaways and food deals through Labor Day.

We're approaching the perennial problem — how to keep pets calm during July Fourth festivities.

Why it matters: Dog intakes and runaways spike around the holiday, according to Shelter Animals Count, as animals get scared and try to escape.

The intrigue: One possible calming mechanism is CBD oils and chews.

• 83% of dogs showed a decrease in stress when given CBD ahead of a stressful event, according to a Cornell study.
• Side effects include dry mouth and drowsiness.

Yes, but: The American Veterinary Medical Association does not currently recommend CBD products as calming agents.

• "We still need more information regarding factors such as how CBD behaves in an animal's body, appropriate dosages, potential side effects and interactions with other medications," AVMA spokesperson Michael San Filippo told Axios.

The bottom line: Talk to your vet, look for organic CBD products, check how much CBD is in the product and confirm there's no THC.

More tips to keep pets calm